Eclipse

[AlarmAgent]

All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun – darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon.

In Bottle - Very nice, almonds without that usual heavy cherry backdrop. I think the heliotrope is tampering that down, perhaps? Also, a hint of spicy-sweet cinnamon is present.

Wet on Skin, First Applied - Where is it? This is an incredibly light scent. The almond is totally gone, and it just smells like a very soft cinnamon with a bit of the frankincense sweetness. Pleasant, but I can already tell this isn't going to last at all, or have much of a throw.

Dry, on Skin - I'm so blue. Eclipse is almost completely scentless less than an hour in. It's a very pleasant, non-offensive scent, but it's so light. My wrists are left vaguely sweet after about forty minutes. Like I just washed up with a very high quality cinnamon guest soap. I'll enjoy the imp, but I wouldn't buy a full bottle. It's a shame too, because I love the scent in the bottle, and I know I'd love it if it was just stronger/longer lasting. Now, for someone who prefers a lighter and a softer scent, I'd recommend Eclipse for something warm and slightly sweet. It's a very comfortable fragrance, and definitely wearable for any situation. I just like my fragrance to be a bit louder. If this were stronger, I'd be all over it. Bright, but warm. Just too light for me! Edited October 22, 2008 by Shollin
Fixed BPAL tags --Shollin

[Suu4LC]

Strong bitter almond and cinnamon! Yum! Not sure how this will work on my skin, but it's a wonderful scent in the imp. I love almond!

 

Mmm, yes, on my skin it smells almost the same. Bitter almond and cinnamon. I love it! Going to let this sit though and see how it settles/last.

 

The cinnamon does fade and I lose kind of the freshness and sharpness of the scent as it dries, but the soft, slightly powdery almond left behind is still quite nice. I can see myself grabbing a bottle of this one day and would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a good, not overly-sweet almond scent.

[kjirstiben]

What a disappointment! I bought Eclipse hoping for something sweet and spicy... and got something sour and musty.

 

As I initially put it on, I could smell the cherry-almondy scent familiar to me from Dana O'Shee, and it disappears upon hitting my skin, just as it does in the other fragrance. A few minutes later, a cinnamon scent rose to the surface, briefly.

 

But after that, a sour smell came out, kind of sour-stale and musty-smelling. I'm reminded of mildew or... mushrooms, maybe. Is it the "bitter almond" doing this or is it the frankincense? Since every other almond scent disappears on me immediately, I don't have much to compare it with.

 

3 hours: The stale mushroomy sour smell is starting to fade, now...

 

4 hours: ...and I get soap.

 

8 hours after I put this on, I can smell something nice on my wrists... something faint and sweet. However, I'm not sure if it is Eclipse or if it was the handsoap that I used.

 

So chalk this one up to skin chemistry ruining what should have been a very nice scent... Sigh. At least I know not to expect much out of almonds from now on!

[jencallisto]

In the imp: Pure marzipan, yum.

Fresh on the skin: Spiced up and slightly alcoholic marzipan, and something resin-y that I think might be the frankincense and heliotrope at the edges.

10 minutes later: It's bloomed warm and sweet on the skin, probably the cinnamon and vanilla coming through, still with the resin backing giving the scent weight.

50 minutes later: Fragrant, warm, almond and resin. It reminds me of playing the violin in elementary school, applying resin to my bow.

2.5 hours later: It's gone deliciously sugary, like those crunchy caramelized cinnamon-sugar almonds. I would _devour_ a dish of these if they were sitting in front of me smelling like this. Yum.

9 hours later: Okay, I wore this all day for 3 hours of seminar, 1 hour of lecture and 2 hours of leading discussion section, plus travel time, and it's faded down a lot but it's still basically nice warm spicy almond and resin when I press my nose to my wrist.

 

Verdict: I really liked this. It was consistently yummy-smelling, and the warmth of it seems to make it blend into my skin scent really nicely. It did have some slightly soapy moments, but that may be in part because for awhile my default soap was oatmeal and almond. I think in the back of my mind I'd been hoping for more almond and less resin, but I think there are other scents I can try for that, and this was lovely as it is. Overall, just solidly _good_.

 

One phrase: cinnamon caramelized almonds.

[Gaidig]

In the bottle: Red KoolAid in the package before you add the sugar. I'm sorry, but that's what I got from the first hit. I smell something fruity and I can smell the cinnamon. I'm not sure I can identify the other scents.

 

On me: The cinnamon steps back and the vanilla and almond step forward. This has a spicy almond cookie scent. It is definitely foody on me.

 

1 hour+ later: Bitter almond and vanilla have a strong staying power. They were still there after many hours, but the spices eventually faded. I smell like a Madelaine cookie.

[cymbeline]

Swap test!

 

Smell alike: Frangipani!

 

Color impression: Golden light brown

 

On me: Yummmy! Not as foody as I feared and hopefully the frankincense stays quiet in the back! It’s a sweetly bright scent, not especially sugary just… very warm and comforting!

 

Wearing: Light for everday wear, perfect too get warm even on winter time! Bottle pleaseeeee

[crebbsgirl]

Helllooooo almond! Wet, this was almost pure single note almond on me. As it dries, the frankincense came out and lent a touch of incense to the blend. The cinnamon was very faint on me. The vanilla lent a creamy tone, whereas the heliotrope offered a bit of a golden edge to this blend. All of the components were distinguishable, unfortunately this was just too much almond for me.

[GalaxyLei]

In the imp: STRONG sickly-sweet cherry...I am guessing this is the almonds misbehaving? In any case, had to close the imp without even testing this one, it was that harsh.

[milica]

I suspect that I should stay away from almond scents, because non of them worked out for me. Neither did this one, I've tried it from a swap, like the smallest dot in the world and it got nasty and strong, a bit fruity but mostly foody. Almond and vanilla seem to smell like cookies on me, and I dont like that kind of scents. and I thought it would be more of the frankincense or cinnamon on me.

 

and it really doesn't smell like Eclipse to me.

Edited December 24, 2008 by milica

[thewondersmith]

In the imp: Maraschino cherries and cinnamon! Slightly alcoholic, but in a pleasant sort of way. It’s almost as if a dash of cherry wine had been added or something. It's a little sweet, but I'm liking it so far. Looking forward to the almond.

 

Wet: Cherry, vanilla and cinnamon. Still no almond, boo. However, the cinnamon is divine and more than makes up for the lack of nutty goodness.

 

Dry: Ahh, there the almonds are! They're still very faint, but they're definitely there, and they're spiced with the slightest hint of cherry and cinnamon. Delicious. I can definitely see myself getting a bottle of this one. Strangely enough, I put some on both my wrists but each side smells completely different! My left wrist smells of cinnamon and almonds, while my right wrist smells of cherries and frankincense. It’s very, very odd.

[gchris]

in vial: strong almond all the way (some people might equate the scent with cherries).

 

wet: still strong almond. As it dries a little, smells like almond cookies, but not super sweet. A little along the lines of dana 'o shee. This is becoming sweeter and less smelling like cookies, just really nice and soft. I think it is the heliotrope. A little later it is becoming powdery.

 

dry: stays powdery, its not bad but powdery is not for me.

 

Edited to add: I never did smell the cinnamon or the frank but upon last sniff this imparts a lovely, soft, warm golden vanilla that reminds me of glowing skin. I really like the drydown on this, but you have to wait a bit for it.

Edited January 4, 2009 by gchris

[beturtlement]

The minute I opened the imp I grinned and said ooooh.

 

Imp: Almost exactly like Amaretto, which just happens to be my all time fav liqueur. If I didn't know any better, I woulda took a swig.

Wet: The moment it touched my skin, it was still amaretto, but with a big ol' punch of cinnamon. The almond starts to go mildly powdery, which usually is a bad thing, but in this it seems all right. This may be a keeper. After a few minutes, the cinnamon stays strong, the almond left the building (boo) quite quickly, yet lurks somewhere in a back alley way somewhere. The powderiness is still lingering, but not like the usual 'baby fresh' scent I usually get when things go to powder.

Dry: This is almost the spitting image of when I attempted to make my own perfume (tincture, really) of alcohol (vodka), cinnamon sticks, cloves, and vanilla beans, but with a tiny bit of something 'extra' in the background, which I can vaguely recognize as the frankincense. I'm not quite sure what heliotrope smells like, so I don't think I could pick it out if I tried.

 

Overall, this started out as something wonderful, but ended up being kinda... meh. Sometimes, I hate my skin.

Edited January 8, 2009 by beturtlement

[isisonearth]

Imp: Almond but a very rich almond. I think the frankincense is blending with.

 

Wet: The scent of the imp unfolds another layer adding lovely heliotrope.

 

Dry: It adds a creamier edge from the vanilla and the tiniest warm bite of cinnamon.

 

Overall: Beautiful scent but my favorite part is the way it build upon itself note by note like watching the slow progression of shadow across the sun.

[meatcake]

The almond note in this one turned all plastic-y on me. Nothing like what an eclipse would smell like, I'm sure.

 

Perhaps almond scents are just not my thing!

Edited February 2, 2009 by meatcake

[jwhxtna]

IN THE IMP: Woah, strong bitter almond.

 

WET: It gets softer and sweeter, and the heliotrope and a tiny hint of cinnamon comes out. Huh, I'm surprised the cinnamon isn't completely dominating this blend on me.

 

DRY: This is very pretty! A soft, sweet, slightly floral almond vanilla. Definitely a subtle skin scent, almost like a very classy body lotion. It kind of reminds me of Dana O'Shee in that aspect (and the almond), but I like this one a lot better.

[tajana]

Wet, it's pure almond! Yay! I love a good almond scent. (Back when I had no BPAL to sniff I'd just open up bottles of almond extract and inhale.) For the first few minutes Eclipse reminds me a lot of Hecate, but as this dries I get a hint of vanilla that blends into and changes the character of the almond to something very creamy. The cinnamon is barely there, and just adds a subtle note of warmth that is pretty much gone before an hour is up. After a while this is very subtle and close to the skin, and it's a lot like a frankincense-infused sibling of Dana O' Shee. I'll keep my imp but won't need to upgrade it to a bottle.

[Ceri]

Bottle: Creamy almonds

 

Wet: Sweet, creamy almonds

 

Dry: Powdery, sweet almonds

 

Overall: This was quite lovely until it became a mix of baby powder and almond powder on me.

[magikalbrownies]

wow...this stuff smells like the gooey cherries that you get on your sundaes. i mean, seriously --- just like it.

 

on the skin, oddly enough, it turns distinctly vanilla on me. i dont smell almonds...

 

:/

 

still like it though.

[lainevierge]

Mmm, this starts off as almond paste and then fades into a beautiful, elegant scent. The almonds in the back ground remind me of an almond scented candle I once had. I'm so glad to find an almond scent that can be tamed. The vanilla and heliotrope balance each other out enough to keep the blend from being too floral or too foody. The cinnamon gives it a hint of the exotic.

 

I think I might need a bottle.

[liquidtrance]

In bottle: ALMOND. Cherry garcia smelling ALMOND.

On contact: Almond, and that hint of vanilla-cinnamon. The almond almost immediately starts calming, and what might be the franincense/heliotrope (?) accent it. The cinnamon is not at all primary, and the vanilla makes this subtley sweet.

After about 10 minutes, the almond is gone, mostly. What's left is something with a similar tooth-aching syrupy smell like O's honey, but a little darker and harsher. Some whiffs also give off a plastic scent.

Had potential at first, but turned blah.

20 minutes or so later, the plastic note is gone. Just husky vanilla. Ok.

[CynicalPink]

Please to not be turning in to cinnamon gum?

 

Imp: That cherry smell almond always seems to get in the bottle for me

 

Wet: Vanilla and almond. Stronger than Dana O'Shee

 

Drydown: It's blending right in to my skin and it's heliotrope, of all the notes, that sticks out the most. Not usually a front row note, but not bad here.

 

Overall: This is what I was hoping O would smell like. This is what I was hoping Antique Lace would smell like. It's smooth and comforting...but I'm not sure I'll wear it very often since it's SO subtle.

[Sapphiremo0n]

I've been reading the reviews of Eclipse and I'm going to throw in my own two scents...cents:

 

I have a 5ml and an imp of Eclipse and I have worn them both, the reason I mention this is because they smell different from eachother.

 

My 5ml is VERY vanilla and cinnamon, warm spicy and comforting, faintly reminding me of Chimera but there is a touch of heliotrope that peeks out on the dry down which changes the game completly.

 

My imp on the other hand is All cherry/ almond Ameretto, it is extremely fruity and it stays that way for hours.

 

I don't know why the two smell different, but there is enough of a difference that the people arround me noticed as well. Don't get me wrong, I like them both, I will be sad when I'm out of either size...

 

 

[blacklacestatic]

In the imp: Really sweet, kind of stings my nose, a kick of cinnamon.

 

Wet on skin: Sweet yet sharp, which is weird. Kind of like a 4 year old stabbing you with the knife they just used to cut the cake at her birthday party. Hmm... The cinnamon is more prominent here, which is great because I love cinnamon.

 

Drydown: Now it's quite creamy and delish. The vanilla came forward and the frankincense, a note I'm usually on the fence about, keeps it from getting too foody. The cinnamon reminds me of the cinnamon in Chimera, one of my faves. It's got that cozy quality about it.

 

Overall: I think I like it, but the wet phase was weird. I'm on the fence and will have to try this again another time. I'm leaning towards like though.

 

Eta: Yes, I like it. I like it a lot. The more a sniff it, the more I love it.

Edited June 3, 2009 by BlackLace

[topazphoenix]

Maraschino cherries, almond, almond with frankincense, omg there's the cinnamon. A Dana O'Shee that's on the fence with being foody and non foody. Bengal without the musk.

[sylvanusurban]

In bottle: Very sweet, strong almond/maraschino cherry. Not at all dark!

 

On me, wet: Ditto

 

On me, drying: The obnoxious sweetness dissipates a bit, and now it is merely Very Sweet. Powdery vanilla has appeared on the scene. Frankincense, heliotrope and cinnamon are nowhere to be found.

 

Later: Ah, here comes the frankincense. It’s an improvement over the uncut sweetness, I guess, but it’s too little, too late. The cinnamon appears in another moment or so.

 

Verdict: This is not at all what I was expecting.